Jaguar’s first electric SUV aims for 80% charge in 90 minutes

Jaguar’s showing off the I-PACE, an electric concept SUV that it’s aiming to bring to production sometime in 2018. The I-PACE looks like a sensible small utility vehicle, with a five-door design and performance-tuned features including a target 0-60mph time of “around” four seconds, a 310+ mile range and a 50kW DC charging mechanism that helps it reclaim 80 percent of its total range capability from zero in just 90 minutes.

The I-PACE looks similar in dimensions to the Tesla Model X, with a broad rear-end designed for max boot space tapering to a slim and sleek rounded front. The idea was to make a car designed for sport-loving drivers, with a low, road-hugging cockpit and yet with tons of usable space for those in the family way.

I don’t understand why car companies can’t name their all-electric concepts without invoking all-caps, dashes or isolated letters, but the I-PACE does look like an intriguing machines, especially if it actually makes it to production in 2018. Besides the exterior design, which I think succeeds in being attractive as well as properly engineered for electric efficiency, I also like the cockpit concept, which uses two large touch screens combines with a digital instrument cluster display to create what Jaguar called a “flightdeck” for the driver.

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The full length glass roof is also signature futuristic indulgence, which is not to say it’s unwelcome, but ultimately it’s a mighty nice looking vehicle in large part because it’s such a departure from Jaguar’s existing lineup in terms of design language.

Concept cars are still only that, of course, and a lot can happen between conception and production, but Jaguar definitely looks to be rolling in the right direction with its all-electric debut.